Published by byron
A show about relationships with the landbase, striving to evoke resilience, resistance, and reverence for the land. Interviews with authors, researchers, activists and students of the land.
Listen on Apple Podcasts57 min
When we see certain things everyday, we start to encounter them with routine and we can sometimes begin to overlook them. They become mundane and the magic is forgotten. This is tricky in human-human relationships as well as human-plant relationships. Sometimes it is good to remember the qualities that got us stoked in the first place, that filled us with awe and wonder, and bring us back into good relationship with those we once desired to know more and saw as significant in our lives. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to do an episode reorienting to Plantain; turning back towards a treasured companion on the bumpy trail of life. Many of us are very familiar with this plant, but perhaps we also take them for granted, their being ever present and underfoot with a pretty nondescript flower. But Summer is here, and the season is full of bumps and bites. Now is the time to turn again to our trusted friend along the path and reacquaint ourselves once more. Hope you enjoy the show. To learn more : Field Manual of Michigan Flora by Anton Reznicek and Edward Groesbeck Voss. University of Michigan Press, 2012. Nine Herbs Charm - Anglo-Saxon poem featuring Plantain Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Milkweed Editions, 2013. Invasive Plant Medicine by Timothy Lee Scott. Healing Arts Press, 2010. American Wildlife Plants: A Guide to Wildlife Food Habits by Arthur C. Martin, et al. Dover, 1951. Population Dynamics of the Perennial Herbs Plantago Major L. and P. Rugelii Decne by Wayne R. Hawthorn and Paul B. Cavers. NorthEast Medicinal Plants by Liz Neves. Timber Press, 2020. Botany in a Day by Thomas J. Elpel. Hops Press, 2013. The Book of … Field and Roadside by John Eastman and Amelia Hansen. Stackpole Books, 2003.
59 min
I have been out with my students a lot in the past month and a half and it seems that every time we go out we are looking to the trees and shrubs that are growing in disturbed areas and likening these disrupted habitats to post glacial landscapes. Some of my students are able to recognize the similarities between an urban construction/destruction site, and some are still picking it up. I always do my best to explain what I am seeing, I still don’t know much and wanted to go a little bit deeper, as always. For this show I share some of what I am learning about the migration of trees and different flora through southern Ontario after the glaciers receded. On top of this, I wanted to note how these development sites also hold hope, and set examples for wild rejuvenation through random ecological assemblages and novel ecosystems in the face of uncertain futures of changing climates and infrastructure degradation. Please appreciate the fun title as well. To learn more : After the Ice Age by E. C. Pielou. University of Chicago Press, 1991. Ontario Forests : A Historical Perspective by K. A. Armsom. Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 2001. Wild Urban Plants of the NorthEast (2nd ed.) by Peter Del Tredici. Cornell University Press, 2020. Legacy : A Natural History of Ontario edited by John B. Theberge. McClelland & Stewart, 1989. glaciation trees Ontario post-glaciation disturbance novel ecosystems invasive
46 min
After my recent jaunt to go visit some migrating salamanders, I had so many questions. For years I have been making my pilgrimage to visit the salamanders as they make their ways to their breeding pools. All the while, I have been reading about “Unisexual Ambystomas” and was confused by the complexity of “the complex”, a small group of closely related salamanders and sperm stealers. Yeah, sperm stealers. After I heard some friends had ran into a local salamander afficionado, Annika Wilcox, I asked if she would like to hang out on air for an hour to discuss her love for the Order Urodela . I had so many questions of my own, along with questions from roommates, pals, and some of my students. I hope this helps us all learn a little bit more about those wild weird and wonderful amphwibians ( see what I did there? ). To learn more : Ep. 282 : Spotted Salamander Migration
52 min
The other day, while out with my students, we came across four basking snakes on the side of a gravel access road cutting through an Eastern White Cedar ( Thuja occidentalis ) forest. Two Eastern Garters ( Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis ), a single Red-bellied ( Storeria occipitomaculata ), and a Brown Snake ( Storeria dekayi ) . Three of the four stuck around and we watched, told a story, and asked questions about the snakes. Some of the questions I could help the students find the answers, but some I was at a loss. Do multiple species of snakes share a hibernaculum? What is a hibernaculum really? Do all snakes use them? What characteristics are the snakes looking for in a hibernaculum? These and a couple other questions really sat with me for the day. When it came time for the radio show, while I had a lot of interesting sightings this first warm week of Spring, the hibernacula question still held my heart. So I obviously had to look it up and learn more. To learn more : The Snakes of Ontario : Natural History, Distribution, and Status by Jeffrey C. Rowell. Self published, 2012. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Great Lakes Region by James H. Harding & David A. Mifsud. University of Michigan Press, 2017.
40 min
Two friends and I got in my car on a stormy night to drive 35 minutes through the thick rain to sneak around the woods looking for migrating Salamanders. This wasn’t the first time either. I have been doing this pilgrimage for a few years, and am still excited every time. This time I brought a recorder with us as well, to try and hold the moment to better convey over the radio. Thanks to all the Spotted Salamanders and frogs and worms for just doing their thing. Also to Nat and Dani for coming along. To learn more : Metamorphosis by Peter B. Mills. Self published, 2016. Wading Right In by Catherine Owen Koning and Sharon M. Ashworth. University of Chicago Press, 2019. Intracellular invasion of green algae in a salamander host by Ryan Kerney, Eunsoo Kim, Roger P. Hangarter, Aaron A. Heiss, Cory D. Bishop, and Brian K. Hall. (pdf) Algae invasion : Algae and salamander relationship is mutually beneficial by Marilyn Smulders.
43 min
On a very cold day in February, while trailing a Algonquin Wolves ( Canis lycaon ) across the frozen Lake of Two Rivers, South of highway 60 running through Algonquin Provincial Park, a fellow tracker and I came across a nest. I took out my phone and quickly took some measurements and moved on. It wasn’t too long, as it was -30°C (-22°F/243K) and my hands we’re screaming at me, but this little discovery started itching my memory of the day and pestering me to figure out who it was. I did a little bit of research, through which I came to the conclusion that the nest may have been built by a Red-winged Blackbird ( Agelaius phoeniceus). This is the story of that discovery and some of the readings which led me to a possible answer to an ageless question; whodunnit ? To learn more : A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds by Colin Harrison. Collins, 1978. Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds’ Nests by Hal H. Harrison. Houghton Mifflin, 1975. Peterson Field Guide to North American Bird Nests by Casey McFarland, Matt Monjello, and David Moskowitz. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021. Bird Nest Finder by Dorcas Miller. Nature Study Guide Publishers, 2024. Inaturalist identifications of Red-winged Blackbirds in the area of the nest Inaturalist identifications of Swamp Sparrow in the area of the nest
49 min
It’s always nice to have a few days off during this time of year. While a lot of folks are busy with family, or having cozy times at home, I can wander through the snowy woods looking for the signs and tracks of all the other animals who we share the land with. For today’s show I am just telling some stories of some of the trails I have been on over the past week, detailing some of what I have been observing and learning. Fondling icy Coyote tracks, to learning about a new species of Poison Ivy (new to me), to finding a flayed Cottontail carcass, it’s been a ton of fun this past week. Hope you enjoy! To learn more : Peterson Field Guide to North American Bird Nests by Casey McFarland, Matt Monjello, and David Moskowitz. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021. Minnesota Wildflowers entry on Western Poison Ivy ( Toxicodendron rydbergii) Minnesota Wildflowers entry on Eastern Poison Ivy ( Toxicodendron radicans) Field Manual of Michigan Flora by Edward G. Voss & Anton A. Reznicek. University of Michigan Press, 2012. The Nature of Oaks by Douglas W. Tallamy. Timber Press, 2021. American Wildlife Plants: A Guide to Wildlife Food Habits by Arthur C. Martin, et al. Dover, 1951. The Deer of North America by Leonard Lee Rue III. Lyons Press, 1997. Acorns and Deer Management article by Dr. Craig Harper and Jarred Brooke (pdf)
39 min
Winter Solstice has returned. Technically it’s in a few days but with the longer nights, it’s certainly being felt. This year I have been out tracking, indoor climbing and baking up a storm at home. It’s been a lovely, snowy descent into the dark. Again, like last year, I have been reading, writing, listening to a lot of film soundtracks and watching silly movies. But I also try to make space for the reverence. Of course, this comes through the tracking, learning and sharing naturalist knowledge, and spending quality time outside, but I also celebrate through stories and songs, both new and ancient, and kept warm beside friends, old and new, nibbling on delicious baked goods. Every day is magical, but the spiraling year allows for seasons and celebrations to be longed for, and appreciated deeply when the those same seasons and celebrations return once again. And, once again, I get to rebroadcast the 1985 radio play by Alison McLeay “Solstice” for the 8th year in a row. I am so grateful to get to air it again and celebrate the season of darkness with a deep dive into the origins of some of the celebrations and stories my ancestors may have participated in and shared this time of year. Get yourself a nice warm drink, a cozy blanket, light a candle and enjoy.
47 min
While out tracking in the new snow the other day I came across some relatively small tracks, reminiscent of a Chipmunk ( Tamias striatus) or Red Squirrel ( Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ), though small enough to be a Short-tailed Weasel ( Mustela ermina ). It took a second before I recognized them as Southern Flying Squirrel ( Glaucomys volans ) tracks. I have been encountering Southern Flying Squirrels in various ways for a few years, including tracks, scat, feeding sign, live sightings, and I even pet one once, but through all of this, I didn’t know much about them. Hence, inspired by my recent tracking outing, I figured I would take some time to get to know the Southern Flying Squirrel a little better. Hopefully we can learn a little more together. To learn more : Mammal Tracks and Sign by Mark Elbroch and Casey McFarland. Stackpole Books, 2019. The Wild Mammals of Missouri 3rd Ed. by Charles W. Shwartz and Elizabeth R. Shwartz. University of Missouri Press, 2016. Mammals of Algonquin Provincial Park . The Friends of Algonquin Park, 2018. Climate change induced hybridization in flying squirrels by GARROWAY, BOWMAN, CASCADEN, HOLLOWAY, MAHAN, MALCOLM, STEELE, TURNER, WILSON. Global Change Biology, 2009.
51 min
While tracking White-tailed Deer at Mono Cliffs with the Earth Tracks apprenticeship, we saw lots of signs of the rut and the subtle ways deer communicate. We studied three main signs: scrapes, rubs and lick branches. Together, these clues form a multisensory language of scent, sight, and even ultraviolet signals that share details of identity, territory, and mating readiness. These clues along the trail are a real insight into how deer express themselves across the landscape in ways most of us overlook. To learn more : Ep. 256 : Apple Scat of Coyotes and Red Fox Glands on a White-tailed Deer Leg - I copied a lot of my information from that post and used it here as well. Appearances can be Deceiving by Dan Strickland from The Raven talks about… DEER & MOOSE . The Friends of Algonquin Park, 2003. Stokes Guide to Animal Tracking and Behaviour by Donald and Lillian Stokes , Little, Brown and Company, 1986. Field & Stream : The Total Deer Hunter Manual by Scott Bestul & Dave Hurteau. Bonnier, 2013. Rubs and Scrapes Glow Like Highway Reflectors to a Deer’s Eyes by Lindsay Thomas Jr. Deer (The Wildlife Series, Book 3) edited by Duane Gerlach, Sally Atwater & Judith Schnell. Stackpole Books, 1995. The Deer of North America by Leonard Lee Rue III. Lyons Press, 1997. Naturekind : Language, Culture & Power Beyond The Human by Melissa Leach and James Fairhead. Princeton University Press, 2025. Eavesdropping on Animals by George Bumann. Greystone Books, 2024.
58 min
I have missed a few of the notable migrations this year; Salamanders, raptors, and until yesterday, the Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). The salmon are a unique one on this list for me though, special in a strange kind of way. Firstly, fish and I never sat well until I got to know the salmon. They changed how I saw all fish species, and now instead of a feeling of ick, I get a wonder, awe and reverence. Secondly, this migration back to the homeplaces of the individual salmon, while bringing the promise of future life, also means imminent death for the hundreds of fish who make the journey. There is a beauty and sadness in it that floods right through me. This episode was recorded along the banks of the Credit River, which is also a bit of a homecoming for me as well. The Credit is a river I have known, a river which has shaped me deeply and set me on a course I am wading my way through. I am unfathomably grateful for the salmon and for the river for sharing so much with me and helping to shape this episode. To learn more : Freshwater Fishes of Ontario by Erling Holm, Nicholas E Mandrak, Mary E. Burridge. Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), 2010. Fishes of Toronto : A guide to their remarkable world. City of Toronto, Royal Ontario Museum, 2012. (pdf) Salmon Country by Robert H. Busch. Key Porter Books, 2000.
45 min
It isn’t often that I get to see bear scat down here in Guelph, but in Parry Sound, there are many Black Bears, and while visiting the Sound for a trailing workshop, we came across some of their scat. For me, it was an event. A highlight of the weekend visit with friends and practicing our trailing together as a crew. Black Bears are pretty majestic, if that’s the right word, and carry a weight, beyond their materiality, in my imagination of what is “wild”. Even if we don’t get to see the bear, their scat was plenty enough to get me thinking about the plants their consuming, how their digestion works, and how their being themselves impacts and plays with the land they make up and inhabit. Big thanks to Diana Clements for organizing the workshop, and to Matt Nelson for teaching us. To learn more : Towards A Better Understanding of Scat Tracking the American Black Bear by Preston Taylor. Self published, 2021. Mammal Tracks and Sign by Mark Elbroch and Casey McFarland. Stackpole Books, 2019. Forest Plants of Central Ontario by Brenda Chambers, Karen Legasy, and Cathy V. Bentley. Lone Pine Publishing, 1996. Up North Again by Doug Bennet and Tim Tiner. McClelland & Stewart Inc, 1997. Information on Trailing Evaluations from Tracker Certification North America
43 min
I am in love with Black Walnut ( Juglans nigra ) and I want shout all about it throughout the late Summer, early Autumn season. They are big, beautiful, and bountiful with their tennis ball sized fruit with bright green husks and nuts snug deep inside. Slowly colonizing the sunlit fields and edges, home to all sorts of creatures both large and small, these towering monuments tell of the abundance of the land. They are amazing allies in healing, mentors in boundaries, relative buffet in mast years, and year round marker of beauty. Who doesn’t want to sing their praises! For this show I really tried to dig into some ecological functions, and really just lean into why I love them so much. Maybe by the end of the show, you’ll love them a little more too? To learn more : Ep. 167 : Black Walnut Ep. 228 : Walnut Husk Maggot Fly Trees of the Carolinian Forest by Gerry Waldron. Boston Mills Press, 2003. The Book of … Forest and Thicket by John Eastman and Amelia Hansen. Stackpole Books, 1992. Wild Urban Plants of the NorthEast (2nd ed.) by Peter Del Tredici. Cornell University Press, 2020. Bark: A field guide to trees of the NorthEast by Micheal Wojtech. University Press of New England, 2011. Arboretum America by Diana Beresford-Kroeger. University of Michigan Press, 2003. Wild Plant Culture by Jared Rosenbaum. New Society Publishers, 2023. Manual of Ornithology by Noble S. Proctor & Patrick J Lynch. Yale University Press, 1998.
56 min
Recently I was talking with one of my adult programs about successional and keystone species. Successional species are those early plants which come into disturbed landscapes, helping to knit the ecological neighbourhood back together. They are quick to come and quick to go, providing the land with nutrients to heal and grow. Keystone species are those species who are provide for many other forms of life. Their work in sustaining the community around them is vast relative to their abundance. They provide food and the place to eat it. The make space for life to thrive and sustain. If the keystone suddenly goes missing than the community make up will drastically change, often for the worse. Goldenrods, especially those which make up the Canada Goldenrod complex are some of the most important successional an keystone species in my area. Over the years I have investigated Goldenrod on different levels, from the technical and scientific to the intuitive and relational. Both vantage points have served in getting to know these amazing and powerful plants better. I decided to head out with a makeshift milkcrate studio to sit with the Goldenrod, Bumblebees and Crickets and make a show together. I hope this helps shed a warm golden glow on these essential components of the Great Lakes bioregion. To learn more : The Asters, Goldenrods and Fleabanes of Grey and Bruce Counties. Owen Sound Field Naturalists, 2000. Wild Urban Plants of the NorthEast (2nd ed.) by Peter Del Tredici. Cornell University Press, 2020. Newcomb's Wildflower Guide by Lawrence Newcomb and Gordon Morrison. Little, Brown, 1977. Stokes Nature Guide to Enjoying Wildflowers by Donald & Lillian Stokes. Little, Brown 1985. Summer Wildlflowers of the NorthEast by Carol Gracie. Princeton University Press, 2020. NorthEast Medicinal Plants by Liz Neeves. Timber Press, 2020. The Book of … Field and Roadside by John Eastman and Amelia Hansen. Stackpole Books, 2003.
43 min
Sisters Alex and Tasha Sawatzky’s knowledge of and growing appreciation for the land they lived on was tangible and real, so how could they tell the stories of the species they were coming to know and love, while also countering the dread of our modern world? They decided to start Minnow, a magazine about ecology, conservation and all sorts of species we share a home with. This magazine project has become a bit of a community space for the sisters and others to write of their own knowledge and care for the land, inviting in readers to deepen their own sense of connection and community with the other-than-human world. There are articles cover the gamut of interesting and sometimes threatened species in the Great Lakes region, including Redside Dace, Piping Plover, Hart’s Tongue Fern, and the lovely Chimney Swift. With two issues launched, and a third underway, Minnow has become a bit of a deal amidst friends of mine who are intimately involved with the land. I had to do an interview to learn more. And big thanks to Nava for bridging the gap. To learn more : Minnow Magazine instagram page Minnow Magazine website with ordering info Minnow Magazine mailing list
49 min
Sight is the dominant sense in humans, followed close behind by hearing and perhaps touch. Many of us have cut ourselves off from the natural world by “gating” our senses, only using what is needed to navigate an urbanized, mechanical, constructed and conditioned environment, and we end up isolating ourselves, and leaving the more than human world behind. In times of ecological, political, and climate horror, I wonder at how we can remain connected with the wilder places we love? How do we engage with the land with all of our bodies and minds, working and practicing the gifts we have inherited from millions of years of evolution? To learn more : Plant Intelligence and the Imaginal Realm by Stephen Harrod Buhner. Bear & Company, 2014. Reconnecting with Nature by Micheal J Cohen, Ed. D. Ecopress, 1997. Spell of the Sensuous by David Abram. Vintage, 1997.
44 min
An ancient plant of the genus Equisetum , (the only extent genera of the family Equisetaceae , and only living member of the order Equisetales) , Horsetails are some of the most primitive of fern species, being closely related to the Calamites of the Carboniferous era some three hundred million years ago. Inspired by a fun workshop I got to host, along with such an amazing history of evolution though incredible cataclysmic epochs, chock full of climate upheaval, I really wanted to learn more about these amazing plants. Many of the Equisetum genera are now extinct yet there are about 9 species in my area, and of the species which persist in the area, I will be focusing mostly on Rough Horsetail. I hope you enjoy the show. To learn more : Michigan Ferns & Lycophytes by Daniel D. Palmer. University of Michigan Press, 2018. Ferns, Spikemosses, Clubmosses, and Quillworts of Eastern North America by Emily B. Sessa. Princeton University Press, 2024. Peterson Field Guide to Ferns by Boughton Cobb. Houghton Mifflin, 1963. The Flora of Wellington County by Richard Frank and Allan Anderson. Wellington Historical Society, 2009. A Natural History of Ferns by Robbin C. Moran. Timber Press, 2004.
1 hr 0 min
Grey Treefrogs ( Hyla versicolor ) are my favorite frog species at the moment. They are cute little colour changing, antifreeze laden, Lichen-Spirits who really belt it out when trying to find a date. I have been hearing them pretty much nightly lately, screaming their short trill all over nearly every wetland I encounter as long as it is fairly adjacent to trees. Because of their powerful calls permeating my late night waking life, I have been wanting to take a deeper dive. Hope you enjoy! To learn more : The Dermal Chromatophore Unit by Joseph T. Bagnara, John D. Taylor and Mac E. Hadley Metamorphosis by Peter B. Mills. Self-published, 2016. Energetics of vocalization by an anuran amphibian (Hyla versicolor) Taigen, T.L., Wells, K.D. J Comp Physiol B 155 , 163–170 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00685209 Familiar Amphibians & Reptiles of Ontario by Bob Johnson. Natural Heritage, 1989. Reptiles and Amphibians of Toronto : Biodiversity Series pamphlet (pdf) Amphibians and Reptiles of the Great Lakes Region by James H. Harding & David A. Mifsud. University of Michigan Press, 2017. After the Ice Age by E. C. Pielou. University of Chicago Press, 1991.
49 min
It started with a little hole at the base of an Eastern White Cedar ( Thuja occidentalis ) tree, and a couple of seeds. Who had collected and consumed the contents of the seeds? What about the feathers? And the boney remnants of bill? Join me as I go deep down a Deer Mouse ( Peromyscus maniculatus ) hole. To learn more : Mammal Tracks and Sign by Mark Elbroch and Casey McFarland. Stackpole Books, 2019. Natural History of Canadian Mammals by Donna Naughton. Canadian Museum of Nature and University of Toronto Press, 2012. Bird Feathers by David Scott and Casey McFarland. Stackpole Books, 2010. Animal Skulls by Mark Elbroch. Stackpole Books, 2006.
37 min
I have been excited about Song Sparrows ( Melospiza melodia ) for a while. Theirs was one of the first complex songs I learned to identify, and being such a common neighbour on the landscape it’s hard to go a few days without hearing them, even in Winter, but especially in the Spring. While out today, I came across a couple Song Sparrow tracks in the silt newly laid down by the receding Eramosa River flood waters and it pricked my interest to dig in a little deeper to this common figure in my life. To learn more : Song Sparrow tracks on Inaturalist Bird Tracks and Sign by Mark Elbroch and Eleanor Marks. Stackpole Books, 2001. Bird Song : Identification Made Easy by Ernie Jardine. Natural Heritage, 1996. Peterson Field Guide to North American Bird Nests by Casey McFarland , Mathew Monjello & David Moskowitz. HMH, 2021. Baby Bird Identification : A North American Guide by Linda Tuttle-Adams. Cornell University Press, 2022. Birds of Forest, Yard, & Thicket by John Eastman. Stackpole Books, 1997.